I am.
I’m no expert on nuclear reactors, but articles like this:
have me worried,
I don’t even know what a “nuclear meltdown” means. Reuters isn’t known for sensationalism.
My prayers are with the people of Japan.
I hesitate to post any more links, because some are sensational, and some are pro-nuclear reactor.
But this is a serious concern. I hope they get it sorted out. The worst-case scenario is pretty bad.
This is from the BBC’s live blog: bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698
[quote] The Union of Concerned Scientists is publishing updates on its website covering technical aspects of the nuclear difficulties in Japan.
Mr Lyman goes on to raise the spectre of Chernobyl: “In the worst case the entire core could melt through the steel reactor vessel and escape into the containment building, and then the containment is the only thing that is standing between the radiation in the reactor and the atmosphere. There is a chance if that does occur that there will be over pressure, the containment can fail and you might have a release on the order of the Chernobyl accident.”[/quote]
I read on another site that currently the wind is blowing West, so the nuclear whatever it is called would blow out to the Pacific. But, that still isn’t very nice.
Isn’t the nuclear material being stored at Lanyu on the east side of the island near the coastline, i.e. near the open ocean? I hope that its protected from another tsunami.
The Pacific stretches out in the East of Japan.
I haven’t read that, petrarch, where did you see that?
I have been reading that there are 5 reactors and two of them are failing to cool down.
The Pacific stretches out in the East of Japan.[/quote]
I guess you’re right, but that is what I read. 
[quote=“Chuanzao El Ale Destroyer”]I haven’t read that, petrarch, where did you see that?
I have been reading that there are 5 reactors and two of them are failing to cool down.[/quote]
Here:http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Japan+scrambles+prevent+meltdown/4427395/story.html
This article is from one hour ago/
[quote]
Japan scrambles to prevent meltdown
Radioactive vapour emitted from two plants
BY SHIGEMI SATO, OTTAWA CITIZEN MARCH 11, 2011 11:02 PM
TOKYO • Japan battled today to contain rising pressure at two nuclear plants where cooling systems failed after a massive earthquake, as it evacuated tens of thousands of residents.
Radiation 1,000 times above normal was detected in the control room of one plant, although authorities said levels outside the facility’s gates were only eight times above normal, spelling “no immediate health hazard.”
The two nuclear plants affected are the Fukushima No. 1 and No. 2 plants, both located about 250 kilometres northeast of greater Tokyo, an urban area of 30 million people.
Read more: ottawacitizen.com/news/Japan … z1GMKirtMc[/quote]
Re: Lanyu,
There’s some info at wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchid_Island#Nuclear_waste_controversy
A previous thread about How safe is Lanyu?: http://www.forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=54178&start=10
Regarding the situation in Japan, some experts are talking about it at Reddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/g29ay/how_serious_is_the_threat_to_the_fukushima/
My $.02 is that this is a bit overblown. People get excited anytime that there is a big tragedy. I hope the Japanese are capable of containing the situation.
thanks for the reddit.com link, petrarch.
I read that since the reactors are shut down there won’t be an explosion (that’s what happened at Chernobyl). It remains to be seen if (in a worst case scenario) the containment buildings are able to withstand reactor meltdowns and prevent leakage.
The Pacific stretches out in the East of Japan.[/quote]
Wind direction is reported by the direction from which it originates. For example, a northerly wind blows from the north to the south.
Why won’t there be an explosion? If the heat keeps building with pressure there WILL be an explosion even though the reactor is cooling slowly it takes days to cool down, it is a race of one against the other, cooling versus heat build-up. When the heat reaches 5000 C the plutonium will catch fire with other chemicals in there (that’s what some prof said today).
This tsunami risk is a risk that affects many nuclear reactors as they are usually built on the coast to use seawater to cool down, looking at a map of Sendai they have at least 3 plants on the coast. I heard they are moving battery plants generators in but I guess it depends on if they get the pumps working, how fast they can get things there.
Those are the headlines in my country’s newspapers. My pals abroad are freaking out for us, and I am concerned about clasmates and friends in Japan -Tokio mosty though.
I was actually a bit more nervous about our own Taiwan’s nuclear power plants on the East coast. Dunno how well protected they are.
Fukushima Plant Number 1 seems to have developed a larger leak after an explosion - reported by NHK and picked up by AFP and BBC.
BBC News is reporting an explosion and possible meltdown at Fukushima nuclear plant. The news gets more worrying every minute.
I was just going to post this. marketwatch.com/story/explos … 2011-03-12
And how long would it take for radiation to reach us, or what other problems could that cause us?
And the people of Japan! God have mercy on them!
Radioactivity measured in the environment outside the plant is reported to have increased - the tell-tale sign of another Chernobyl in the making…
NHK TV has an English speaking site. They are now showing pictures of an explosion at the plant.
I fear now that Taiwan will be at the mercy of the wind.
[quote]The government’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says 2 radioactive substances, cesium and radioactive iodine, have been detected near the Number One reactor at the Fukushima Number One nuclear power station.
The agency says this indicates that some of the metal containers of uranium fuel may have started melting.
The substances are produced by fuel fission.[/quote]
Uh-oh.
BBC: Japan quake: Huge explosion at Fukushima nuclear plant
That last link was updated just 5 mins ago. They got pics of a very large cloud surrounding the building.
That sounds bad. I hope they get that thing under control.
Weather.com says the wind at Sendai is blowing from the South-South East.
If radiation blows up onto the jetstream then they are likely to end up in the Pacific NW US.
In case people were not worried enough, if Chernobyl had gone into full meltdown instead of just a local explosion, half of Europe would have been uninhabitable.